


Like A Penguin

by WednesdaysDaughter



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Courtship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Relationship Advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 11:41:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5664799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WednesdaysDaughter/pseuds/WednesdaysDaughter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Poe gave him flowers, Finn stared in disbelief until Poe’s brilliant smile began to wilt around the edges.</p><p>“Please tell me you’re not allergic,” he begged and Finn mentally shook himself before reaching out to accept the vibrant flora.</p><p>“No! No, of course not, it’s just – I’ve never been given anything but a weapon before, let alone flowers. They’re lovely – thank you.” Finn rushes to assure Poe, barely managing not to trip over himself in excitement once the gesture sinks in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like A Penguin

**Author's Note:**

> I did this for a friend: http://mamaumbridge.tumblr.com/post/136820209402/who-do-i-talk-to-about-writing-me-a-fic-where-to
> 
> But, let's be real - this ship = life. I will definitely be writing more Finn/Poe. 
> 
> I could not, for the life of me, come up with a title and then the penguin thing popped into my head and I just gave up an ran with it. Also, tagging and summaries suck so hard.

“So it has begun.”

Startled, Finn whips around and nearly knocks over the pile of reports he’d just finished organizing. A warm chuckle eases his embarrassment and General Leia waves away his fumbled salute before settling next to him.

He waits for her to continue, but Leia reaches down and turns the neon blue stone over and over in her hands until eventually Finn’s curiosity gets the best of him.

“Um, what’s begun General?”

“Poe’s courtship, of course.”

Finn’s heart stops when she winks at him playfully. Words ringing in his ears, Finn sputters a reply, but once more Leia’s hand rises in an attempt to bat away his response.

“Don’t be purposely obtuse Finn; it’s not a good look on you.”

Finn’s mouth snaps shut and he fixes her with an offended glare, but not where she can see it. He has a healthy dose of respect and fear for Leia and she knew it.

“With all due respect General, I don’t think…” Finn begins, but when Leia turns to meet his eyes the words die in his mouth.

“He courted me once you know – when he was much younger. Poe brought me all sorts of odds and ends; various little trinkets ranging from lopsided bouquets and shiny rocks: He even held doors open for me and pulled back curtains when he accompanied me everywhere. He was such a sweet kid, you should've seen the look on his face when me met Han.”

Leia’s eyes are bright and though it’s small a smile blooms across her lips: Perhaps the first one since he awoke from his coma to a base silently buzzing with grief and determination. Finn is suddenly overcome with the desire to ask her how Han pursued her affections, but he refrains when Leia hands him the stone Poe dropped off earlier. It’s warm in his hand and he’s smiling without realizing it, until Leia answers his unasked question.

“Han wasn’t one for flowers, but we fell in love on the run from a war that wouldn’t take no for an answer. There wasn’t time for romance back then.”

“It’s really freaky when you do that.”

Leia doesn’t hold back her laugh at Finn’s blunt response and she reaches out to squeeze his arm.

“Han said the same thing to me once – or rather a couple times.”

They soak in each other’s comforting presence until someone interrupts, apologetically asking for Leia’s presence what many had dubbed the ‘war room.’

Finn watches a cold wall slide down her face and she’s a general once more. He pulls back and straightens his spine as Leia does the same and the moment’s gone almost as quickly as it came. They push away their dead and when Finn goes back to his job, he slides the stone into his pocket and it burns for the rest of the day; along with the conversation.

Finn feigns sleep when Poe returns from his night flight, but he eventually falls asleep to the scent of wildflowers and the feeling of a smooth stone beneath his fingers.

 

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

The first time Poe gave him flowers, Finn stared in disbelief until Poe’s brilliant smile began to wilt around the edges.

“Please tell me you’re not allergic,” he begged and Finn mentally shook himself before reaching out to accept the vibrant flora.

“No! No, of course not, it’s just – I’ve never been given anything but a weapon before, let alone flowers. They’re lovely – thank you.” Finn rushes to assure Poe, barely managing not to trip over himself in excitement once the gesture sinks in.  

Relieved, Poe shuffled his feet and managed give a rushed explanation as to why he was giving him flowers in the first place before Jessika called him over for training.

Still reeling from the sudden gift – the first one he’d ever been given – Finn stood in the middle of the mess with a handful of wrinkled lavender stalks for a good ten minutes before General Leia had found him and he snapped into action so violently he missed her knowing glance at the bouquet.

A few days after that, Poe left a handful of turquoise stones in an abandoned bird’s nest he found while out with the field scouts brushing up on his survival skills in the wild.

Next was a large pink crystal that Finn used as a paperweight on their shared desk and next to that was a rusted jug he’d ‘borrowed’ from the kitchen to preserve his third bouquet of wildflowers.

The first time Poe has to leave on a mission, Finn’s working on his last round of physical therapy and barely manages to pull him into a hug without wincing in pain.

“Be careful.”

He wants to say more, but his throat is tight and Poe seems to understand because he clasps Finn’s shoulder when they break away.

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

Finn didn’t see Poe for a week so he spent his time running from unit to unit; learning all that he could so he’d be with Poe next time, so that he could be useful and fight like he was trained to do. When idle, Finn’s hands slid into his pockets where he keeps a few trinkets Poe had given him; a couple of stones and a gold coin. Finn eats with the other pilots, Jessika taking him under her wing and teaching him all that she can. She tells him stories about her home and he tells her stories about Rey and what it felt like flying in the Falcon. By the time Poe comes back, Finn’s loneliness has abated and he feels more at ease around strangers who eyed him with both awe and suspicion.

“Hey buddy, look what I found!”

Poe shoves a weathered bag of shells and sand into Finn’s hands and they spread them throughout their room that night as Poe talks about his mission and BB-8 whistles and clicks in correction whenever Poe decides to show off.

Jessika offers to make him a necklace out of the leftovers and Poe flushes when Finn plops down next to him for lunch wearing pink and white shells around his neck. The other pilots snicker and Snap Wexley nudges Poe’s shoulder with a sly grin until Jessika kicks him in the shin underneath the table and he yelps.

Confused, Finn looks to Poe for an explanation and is answered with a shrug, “Don’t look at me, pilots are weird.”

“As if you have room to talk Dameron,” Snap grouses, but he doesn’t say anything about the lack of space between him and Finn and the table goes back to trading stories back and forth about their latest missions.

Days past and even though no one else is probably keeping track, a month after Finn wakes up Poe presents him with a wreath of driftwood and grey rocks entangled in the bark. It’s beautiful and Finn says as much, watching Poe fidget and bite his bottom lip before making an excuse and running off.

While hanging the wreath on the front of their door, Leia’s words from the other day float into his head and Finn pauses, uncertain for what feels like the millionth time since he left the First Order.

Finn had no idea how to deal with courtships. Stormtroopers weren’t exactly allowed to fraternize, certainly not allowed to court one another. Emotions were seen as weakness, as useless, dangerous.

Gut heavy, Finn reached out to caress the wreath before turning away and marching down the corridor with purpose. He needed some air.

 

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

“You look like someone just kicked your Ewok.”

He didn’t turn this time, but he still jumped out of his skin when he heard Leia’s voice. The sun filtered through the trees as it set and the boulder felt cold beneath him. His hands keep busy with the latest gift; a golden marble with veins of black running across the surface. When Leia sat next to him he didn’t hesitate to open his palm and let the marble slide into her hands.

She whistled, “He’s got it bad.”

Finn grimaced. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

Leia studied him a minute before turning her attentions to the trees where she could hear the echoes of various birds readying themselves for a frosty night. Snuggled in their sheltered nests, they sang to their mates and offspring until the sun finally disappeared and a hush fell over the woods.

Finn’s sigh blended into the chilled air and Leia waited.

“I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Fifteen years ago, Han said the same thing to her as their son ran around waving a stick in the air and knocking over their furniture.

She tells Finn the same thing she said to Han years ago.

“Nobody does, not really anyway. We can only do what we can and hope for the best even if it seems fruitless. Take it one day at a time Finn, one day at a time.”

She gives him back the marble and stands to leave knowing there is some thinking he cannot do in her company. Something stops her however, and she turns to face him; the words out of her mouth before she can stop them.

“Tell him Finn. Tell him before he doesn’t come home.”

There are a million responses at the tip of his tongue, but he swallows them all. He swallows his fears and doubts and insecurities; choosing instead to nod with determination when he sees the glimmer in her eyes. A silent conversation passes between them until Leia reaches out and pats Finn’s shoulder gently and she vanishes into the night before he can blink; leaving behind a warm echo of affection and a newfound courage.

 

\- - - - - - - - - -

 

The first time Finn gives Poe flowers the entire mess hall goes quiet until Poe takes them with shaky hands and finds himself being pulled into the first of many tender, searching kisses.

Suddenly they’re surrounded by loud cheering and whistles and BB-8 tells them to get a room before rolling off to tell every droid that’ll listen that his human finally has a proper mate. Jessika cups her hands over her mouth to yell “It’s about damn time!” but all the noise fades into the background as Poe reaches up to cup Finn’s face with his free hand.

Breathless they part and Poe leans in to rest his forehead against Finn’s, grinning so hard it hurts, but he just can’t stop the giddy relief that breaks through his swollen lips in peals of laughter. Finn’s answering smile feels like the birth of a new star and Poe can’t stop himself from swooping in for another kiss – this one less tender and more heated, sending chills down their spines.

“Alright love birds, break it up – you can do that on your own time,” Jessika teases when she sees the flush dusting their cheeks. Finn clears his throat and Poe takes a step back, running his hand over the back of his head before taking his seat to finish his meal.

After everyone settles down and breakfast breaks, Finn and Poe are paraded around the base, too happy to be embarrassed at the bawdy songs Snap gets the pilots to sing as they march from the mess down the corridors to their respected stations.

“Put these in water for me?” Poe asks handing Finn the flowers with a swift kiss and a reluctant wave as Jessika pulled him outside where their ships were waiting for drills. Finn watches them go, nodding at those who pat his back in congratulations. With time to spare, Finn turns and heads towards his room and catches Leia leaning against a gray wall, files in one hand and the other fiddling with a silver chain around her neck.

Sensing him, she pivots and her eyes dart to the bouquet in his hand before glancing up to meet his.

‘Well done’ she mouths and turns back to her work before Finn can thank her.

‘ _She knows_ ,’ Finn thinks fondly and leaves Leia to her memories and heads back to the mess so he can ‘borrow’ another jug.

It’ll be the fifth one this week.

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, I will never be okay with Han dying. Like, no. I refuse to accept it. 
> 
> LEIA FELT HIM DIE!
> 
> Ahem, anyway yeah this was a great way to explore Finn/Poe and it helped me with my crippling grief that is Han/Leia. Hope I did this pairing justice - I'm always nervous to write for a new ship.


End file.
